The Value of the Autopsy

Eric Shapiro; David Warburton; Thomas M. Jackson; Robert J. Wells; Wallace W. Tourtellotte; Keith E. Berman; Lee Goldman; Robert Sayson; Stanley Robbins; Lawrence H. Cohn; Michael Bettman; Monica Weisberg

doi:10.1056/NEJM198309223091215

The Value of the Autopsy

Eric Shapiro, David Warburton, Thomas M. Jackson, Robert J. Wells, Wallace W. Tourtellotte, Keith E. Berman, Lee Goldman, Robert Sayson, Stanley Robbins, Lawrence H. Cohn, Michael Bettman, Monica Weisberg

Pediatrics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

To the Editor: The 10 per cent error rate of major diagnoses revealed by autopsies in three different decades, reported by Goldman et al. in the April 28 issue,¹ is comparable to that of an even earlier era. In 1919, a survey of 600 consecutive autopsies revealed an 8 per cent rate of “gross errors” of omission,² which would have changed therapy and possibly outcome. This should certainly dispel the notion that the diagnoses of 1983 are any more inviolate than the judgments of 1919! A healthy skepticism of “confirmed diagnoses” continues to be wise in the care of our.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	732-733
Number of pages	2
Journal	New England Journal of Medicine
Volume	309
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198309223091215
State	Published - Sep 22 1983

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Medicine

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title = "The Value of the Autopsy",

abstract = "To the Editor: The 10 per cent error rate of major diagnoses revealed by autopsies in three different decades, reported by Goldman et al. in the April 28 issue,1 is comparable to that of an even earlier era. In 1919, a survey of 600 consecutive autopsies revealed an 8 per cent rate of “gross errors” of omission,2 which would have changed therapy and possibly outcome. This should certainly dispel the notion that the diagnoses of 1983 are any more inviolate than the judgments of 1919! A healthy skepticism of “confirmed diagnoses” continues to be wise in the care of our.",

author = "Eric Shapiro and David Warburton and Jackson, {Thomas M.} and Wells, {Robert J.} and Tourtellotte, {Wallace W.} and Berman, {Keith E.} and Lee Goldman and Robert Sayson and Stanley Robbins and Cohn, {Lawrence H.} and Michael Bettman and Monica Weisberg",

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T1 - The Value of the Autopsy

AU - Shapiro, Eric

AU - Warburton, David

AU - Jackson, Thomas M.

AU - Wells, Robert J.

AU - Tourtellotte, Wallace W.

AU - Berman, Keith E.

AU - Goldman, Lee

AU - Sayson, Robert

AU - Robbins, Stanley

AU - Cohn, Lawrence H.

AU - Bettman, Michael

AU - Weisberg, Monica

PY - 1983/9/22

Y1 - 1983/9/22

N2 - To the Editor: The 10 per cent error rate of major diagnoses revealed by autopsies in three different decades, reported by Goldman et al. in the April 28 issue,1 is comparable to that of an even earlier era. In 1919, a survey of 600 consecutive autopsies revealed an 8 per cent rate of “gross errors” of omission,2 which would have changed therapy and possibly outcome. This should certainly dispel the notion that the diagnoses of 1983 are any more inviolate than the judgments of 1919! A healthy skepticism of “confirmed diagnoses” continues to be wise in the care of our.

AB - To the Editor: The 10 per cent error rate of major diagnoses revealed by autopsies in three different decades, reported by Goldman et al. in the April 28 issue,1 is comparable to that of an even earlier era. In 1919, a survey of 600 consecutive autopsies revealed an 8 per cent rate of “gross errors” of omission,2 which would have changed therapy and possibly outcome. This should certainly dispel the notion that the diagnoses of 1983 are any more inviolate than the judgments of 1919! A healthy skepticism of “confirmed diagnoses” continues to be wise in the care of our.

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The Value of the Autopsy

Abstract

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